Lee Corso Final College GameDay — a clear, friendly, and factual round-up for TrenBuzz readers about Lee Corso, College GameDay logistics, the week’s biggest picks, and what his retirement means for college football fans.
Quick snapshot — the headlines
- Legendary analyst Lee Corso made his final appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay on August 30, 2025, in Columbus (Ohio State vs. Texas). (AP News)
- Corso is 90 years old (born Aug 7, 1935) and officially retired after nearly four decades on GameDay. (AP News)
- On his send-off show Corso performed one last head-gear pick for Ohio State (the symbolic Brutus Buckeye) and — separately — predicted LSU as his pick to win the 2025 national championship. (Stamford Advocate, SI)
- College GameDay airs 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPNU (pit opens early; schedule and locations rotate each week). (ESPN.com)
1) Why this matter — Corso, GameDay, and American Saturday morning football
Lee Corso helped invent the Saturday-morning college football ritual. His mix of straight analysis, comic timing, and the now-iconic mascot headgear moment turned GameDay into more than a pregame show — it became a weekly cultural event where fans congregate, debate, and celebrate the sport. His retirement is the end of an era and the start of a new chapter for the show and its audience. (AP News)
2) Lee Corso — short career timeline & coaching background
- Played football at Florida State and moved into coaching in the late 1950s.
- Served as head coach at Louisville (1969–72), Indiana (1973–82) and Northern Illinois (1984), and had a USFL stint with the Orlando Renegades in 1985. His college head coaching record and historic details are part of his legacy as both coach and analyst. (Sports Reference)
3) Health, age, and why the retirement now
Corso turned 90 in August 2025. Over the years he dealt with health scares (including a stroke years earlier) but continued to make appearances on GameDay. In 2025 ESPN arranged a send-off that honored his long career while acknowledging that retiring now gives him the chance to bow out on his own terms. (AP News, Wikipedia)
4) The headgear tradition — what it means and Corso’s numbers
The headgear ritual — Corso reaching into his trunk of mascot heads and putting one on to “back” a pick” — dates back to the mid-1990s and became his trademark. Over decades he donned many mascots (Brutus Buckeye, of course, is a recurring favorite). Those moments mixed theatrics with prediction, and they’ll be sorely missed as a weekly surprise element. (AP News)
5) What Corso did on his final show (the facts)
- Final headgear pick (game pick): Corso put on the Brutus Buckeye and backed Ohio State against Texas in Columbus, a full-circle hometown echo of earlier picks. (Stamford Advocate)
- Final national-championship prediction: Separately, during his last appearance he named LSU as his pick to win the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship. Those two choices illustrate how a single GameDay appearance mixes local game theater with season-wide forecasting. (SI)
6) GameDay logistics — when and where to watch (practical info)
- When: The live show runs 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET (three-hour show) on Saturdays during the season; fans line up early — pits often open well before the broadcast. (ESPN.com)
- Channel / streaming: ESPN (and often simulcast to ESPNU). Many platforms that carry ESPN also stream GameDay. Check local listings for regional variations. (ESPN.com)
- Where: GameDay travels to a marquee campus or neutral-site each week (Week 1, 2025 opener was at Ohio State). The location rotates and is announced in advance. (ESPN.com)
7) Who’s on the desk now (and next steps for GameDay)
In 2025 the show’s desk includes veteran analysts and contributors who’ll carry on the show’s mix of analysis and spectacle. Rece Davis has been a key host figure, with Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, and other high-profile guests and analysts joining each week. ESPN has signaled the show will continue — evolving without Corso but maintaining its core formula. (ESPN.com)
8) Common fan questions — answered fast
Q: How old is Lee Corso?
A: He turned 90 in August 2025. (AP News)
Q: Did Lee Corso have a stroke?
A: Yes — earlier in his life Corso had a stroke that affected speech and led to changes in how he worked; he later returned to broadcasting and adapted his appearances. (Wikipedia)
Q: What was Corso’s coaching background?
A: He coached at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois (and briefly in the USFL); his coaching career is part of the reason his commentary carried weight. (Sports Reference)
Q: What time does College GameDay start?
A: 9 a.m. ET is the on-air start (pit/fan areas open earlier). (ESPN.com)
Q: Who did Corso pick today?
A: On Aug 30, 2025 he donned Brutus and picked Ohio State for the game; he also predicted LSU to win the national title for the season. (Stamford Advocate, SI)
9) What Corso’s retirement means for fans, networks and the culture of college football
- For fans: an emotional transition — expect nostalgia and lots of tributes across broadcasts and social media.
- For networks: a creative opportunity to refresh segments while preserving the ritual that made GameDay appointment viewing.
- For college football culture: GameDay is bigger than one person; Corso’s legacy will influence how future hosts blend analysis and theatricality.
10) Smart ways to follow Week 1 and beyond (tips)
- Set alerts for the GameDay location and start time (ESPN posts weekly updates). (ESPN.com)
- Watch the pit if you’re local — arrive early (lines form before the pit opens). (ESPN.com)
- Separate drama from news — weekly predictions and headgear are entertainment; rely on official game coverage and team reports for roster and injury facts.
- Track Corso’s final picks — many outlets archived his last show (game pick vs. season pick), which make for great retrospective content. (Stamford Advocate, SI)
11) Short tribute: why Corso mattered
Lee Corso turned analysis into theater without undermining expertise. He made college football feel playful, accessible and emotionally rich. Whether you loved him for the headgear or for the decades of commentary, his sendoff marks a meaningful cultural moment in college sports broadcasting. (AP News)
Disclaimer (Google AdSense–friendly)
This article is for informational and editorial purposes only. It summarizes public reporting and open-source information as of August 30, 2025. It is not an official statement from ESPN or Lee Corso. Readers should consult primary sources (network broadcasts, team communications) for authoritative details. Images used in this article are royalty‑free or licensed for commercial use and are provided here for illustrative purposes.